okay. it's all slithery. eat your vegetables, kids. they're good for you. they're tasty and nutritious. not to mention a fun way to get a frog in your throat. that's it for us. the fbi focused on the widow of one of the boston marathon terror suspects, after this startling revelations, female dna found on a bomb fragment. plus, the russian connection. did this boxer-pushed-jihadist, turn tamerlan tsaranev to terror? and jason collins coming out as gay in the nba. there's a lot of dialogue about that this morning. welcome back to "early start."

>> i'm john berman, live in boston today. it is tuesday, april 30th. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. we begin with a dramatic new development in the boston marathon bombing investigation. female dna has been found on one of the explosive devices. now, federal investigators are closely monitoring tamerlan tsaranev's widow. you see her leaving her parents' home in rhode island. they're trying to figure out what katherine russell did in the days before and after the attack. "the boston herald" reports that the state medical examiner has determined tamerlan's cause of death. they are not releasing the details because russell has not claimed her husband's body. as for dzhokhar tsaranev, another lawyer has been added to his defense team. judy clark, whose past clients include susan smith. and she represented the

unabomber, ted kaczynski. all these clients avoided the death penalty, getting life sentences, instead. federal investigators are focusing their efforts on the female dna that was discovered on bomb fragments at the boston marathon finish line. yesterday, they searched katherine russell's home in rhode island. with more on the investigation. good morning, pamela. >> reporter: good morning to you, john. when fbi agents left the home of katherine russell yesterday, they carried out bags of evidence. they want to know what role, if any, she may have played in helping to carry out the attacks. fbi agents searched this home belonging to the family of katherine russell. the widow of boston bombing suspect, tamerlan tsaranev, who

she married three years ago. agents carried out clear plastic bags, marked dna samples. they took these samps to see if they match up with female dna. russell, who has denied any involvement in the attack, has been staying in this home since her husband's death during a police shoot-out. nearby in this apartment, the fbi has interviewed the mysterious man known as misha, identified by the suspects' relatives as a key influence in radicalizing tamerlan. >> to date, they have answered all the questions that have been asked of them by the authorities. they're fully cooperating. that's it. there's nothing more to say. >> reporter: misha denies any wrongdoing. and says he hasn't spoken to tamerlan for three years, according to a reporter who recently interviewed him. >> he told me, i was not his teacher.

i would have made sure he knew something this was wrong. he was very upset. >> reporter: this youtube video has surfaced, allowing us to hear dzhokhar's voice. he's in this prison hospital, locked up in a ten-by-ten-foot cell, where he must spend all his time, except for one hour each day for outside activity. and we have learned the experienced death penalty lawyer, judy clark of california, will join tsaranev's defense team. she has represented a number of high-profile clients, including most recently, jared loughner, the shooter in tucson. in most of the cases, they have received life in prison, rather than the death penalty. >> that's right. all of the high-profile clients.

pamela brown in massachusetts. while the investigation continues here in boston, around new england. federal investigators want to know if tamerlan tsaranev knew a man named william. we have more details. what do we know about this man? >> reporter: good morning. william plotnikov. a boxer turned jihadist. it's a similar narrative if you like what is believed to have happened to the accused bomber. he was born in russia. moved to canada as a teenager with his family. and some time after that, his family said he was radicalized in canada. and returned to russia, to dagestan, and fought as a militant. he was there for the same six-month period in early july 2012, as tamerlan tsaranev. he was killed by russian forces in july 2012.

only days before tamerlan tsaranev left russia and returned to the united states. so, investigators have said they are looking into whether there is any connection between these two men. the possibility that they met, and the possibility that william plotnikov's death somehow influenced or inspired or was a factor in tamerlan tsaranev's decision to depart russia and return to the united states. john? >> that timing is awfully coincidental, just days before. authorities also exploring if tamerlan had any contact with any other militants there? >> reporter: yeah, indeed. there was one other militant being mentioned in the same context. a young man, 18, also said to have been a militant. we know a little less about him. but he's being mentioned in russian media reports. and u.s. investigators are looking into a possible connection between him and tsaranev. he was said to have been a

recruiter to local militant groups. and according to the russian media reports that have mentioned him, they have met on a number of occasions. it supports a theory that if tsaranev was trying to get access to militant groups, this was a logical man for him to be dealing with, he also was someone who was killed around the same time. may 2012. again, within that same time frame, that same window, we know tsaranev was in dagestan. john? >> that time frame does appear to be crucial. phil black in moscow for being there with us this morning. >> president obama and vladimir putin had a meeting. let's go back for the rest of the day's news. our other big story, jason collins announcing to the world

he is a gay. collins coming out in a "sports illustrated" article. he is the first active player in a major u.s. team sport to do it. the revelation being met with support in the sports world and beyond. more now from rachel nichols. >> reporter: for the past 12 seasons, jason collins has done the nba dirtywork, protecting the basket with little or no recognition. but with his revelation in this week's "sports illustrated," that he's gay, that anonymity is over. in explaining his decision, collins said, i encured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. i was certain my world would fall apart if anyone knew. and when i acknowledged my sexuality, i felt whole for the first time. president obama called collins to say he was impressed with his courage. the first lady tweeted it was a huge step forward for the country. many in the nba community also expressed support.

>> character is found in those who lead. i would like to commend you, jason, for coming out and showing us what leadership looks like. >> i am glad he took that step. and i wish him the best. and i hope that nba guys can get past sexual orientation. all that b.s. at the end of the day, he's a good guy. he's a hard worker. he's a good basketball player. that's what he should be judged for and known for. >> reporter: not everyone is accepting of his sexuality. chris broussard, a prominent espn basketball analyst, called collins a sinner. >> i'm a christian. i don't agree with homosexuality. i believe it's asin, as i think all sex outside a marriage between a man and a woman is. >> reporter: it was the boston marathon bombings that pushed him to action, helping to realize, things can change quickly. and there would be no perfect time to divulge his sexuality. he decided to wear rarely seen

98, as a tribute to matthew shepard, the gay student tortured in 1998. he is not the first male athlete to come out. but he is the first to do so while playing for one of the four major leagues. collins is a free agent, which means he's looking for a job. for cnn, rachel nichols, new york. >> our thanks to rachel. this morning, jason collins himself is responding to the broad public support he's receiving. he's tweeted, thank you to everyone who has reached out to me through e-mail, text, calls, letters and every other form of communication. and all the support i have received today is inspirational. i know i was choosing the world less traveled. but i'm not walking it alone. in our next hour, we'll talk to mike golic and mike greenberg, about jason collins' revelation. and all of the reaction to it. and a developing story in

afghanistan, where a cargo jet crash has killed seven american citizens. the national airlines plane went down shortly after takeoff from bagram air force base. it was on its way to dubai. the cause of this crash is not known. the taliban is already claiming responsibility. and a grim search in lower manhattan grinds on this morning. the new york city medical examiner, looking for human remains in a narrow alley where a chunk of rusted plane metal was found last week. boeing confirmed it was one of a wing flap that crashed into the world trade center on 9/11. stocks keep surging. and records keep falling on wall street. the s&p 500 closing at an all-time high yesterday. up more than 11 points to finish at 1593. futures are soaring.

it's 11 minutes past the hour. searching for a killer in northern california. an 8-year-old girl, she was murdered in her home. her parents are looking for answers. we have a live report ahead. you are watching "early start." [ female announcer ] what makes you walk a little taller? where does goddess begin? it begins with your skin... revealed by venus for a confident glow the whole world will notice. venus & olay -- gently exfoliates with 5 blades. plus olay moisture bars help lock in moisture for less dryness. only from venus & olay. any venus cartridge fits any venus handle. that's the beauty of venus. any venus cartridge fits any venus handle. aw, shoodiscover card.payment. i missed a payment. aw, shoot. shoot! this is bad, isn't it? oh no! we're good! this is your first time missing a payment. and you've got our new card, so we don't charge you a late fee for for that. plus, we won't hike up your apr for paying late either. man, that's great! it is great, man!

thank you. well, thanks for your help. yeah, no problem. call back anytime. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. late payment forgiveness. get the new it card at discover.com. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! have led to an increase intands clinical depression. drug and alcohol abuse is up. and those dealing with grief don't have access to the professional help they need. when you see these issues, do you want to walk away or step up?

with a degree in the field of counseling or psychology from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu she thinks retirement will be comfortable, but it may not be because the economic climate has changed. the old rules don't apply. so the investments she thinks are safe... are not. bny mellon wealth management helps you understand today's hidden risks, prepare for tomorrow's, and retire without compromise. are you ready? bny mellon wealth management invested in your future.

welcome back to boston, everyone. a new development to tell you about the bombing investigation. female dna discovered on one of the explosive devices. fbi agents collected dna from tamerlan tsaranev's wife, katherine russell. investigators trying to get dna samples from a number of other people, as they try to figure out who might have been involved or if anyone was involved. as for suspect dzhokhar tsaranev, another lawyer has been added to his defense team. judy clark.

past clients included susan smith, ted kaczynski and jared loughner. all these clients, high-profile, got life sentences instead of the death penalty. >> interesting development there. thank you very much, john. we have a developing story in northern california, where police are look for a suspect in the murder of an 8-year-old girl in her home. the parents of layla fowler did not have to say anything at a news conference last night. the pain on their faces said it all. cnn's paul vercammen live in valley springs, california, with the latest on the hunt for layla's killer. any new developments there? >> well, the autopsy confirmed that young layla died of multiple stab wounds. she was stabbed a number of times. the authorities withholding how many times and where because that's a key point of evidence. also, no suspects composite out here. no prime suspect.

and that has residents out here very frustrated. sheriff's deputies on foot and in patrol cars made their presence seen. this is where layla fowler, the 8-year-old girl stabbed to death in her home over the weekend, attended third grade. some classmates held flowers for layla. their parents held on to fear. >> i'm scared for my kids and for the family. it's horrible. he was friends with her in class. classmates. they sit together at school. it's very sad. things like that don't happen here. >> tell us what you have and why. >> i'm sad. i didn't want her to die. >> reporter: her mother told cnn via facebook, we are devastated. she was full of life. look at our baby girl. she didn't deserve this. her parents appeared at a news conference monday night. they did not speak and were

understandably emotional. through police, they asked for respect and privacy. michael range lives near the foulers and heard of her deadly stabbing from a neighbor boy. >> i took my kids in instantly and locked the doors. and waited to find out what happened. it was scary. we've been inside all weekend. >> reporter: a lot of residents here feel trapped, pinned down after the mysterious death of leila fowler, who would have turned 9 in june. tonight, they will remember little leila in a vigil here in town. undoubtedly, it will be extremely emotional. >> absolutely. you hear that mom say, things like that don't happen here. tell us more about that particular community. that particular town. >> reporter: well, a lot of people move to these foothill communities or stay in them. here, in the western slope of the sierra, because they are so quiet and tranquil and peaceful. it's a choice that many people

make, saying it has a low crime rate, it's idyllic. they're shocked what happened to them here. one man saying i moved from stockton to be here. and around the corner from me, a little girl's life is taken. >> understandably rattled. paul, thank you very much. appreciate it. it's 19 minutes past the hour. the man accused of mailing letters laced the ricin to president obama and two others, is being held without bond. a judge has scheduled a preliminary hearing on thursday, for james everett dutschke. he is charged with using and processing ricin. he allegedly sent the letters to the president, mississippi senator roger wicker and a local mississippi judge, as well. you may not have heard of jason collins before yesterday. but you can bet on seeing a lot more on this nba trail blazer. what coming out could mean for endorsement deals. that's coming up. [ jennifer gat powerful sunscreen feel great? actually it can. neutrogena® ultra sheer.

its superior uva uvb protection helps prevent early skin aging and skin cancer, all with the cleanest feel. it's the best for your skin. neutrogena® ultra sheer. it's easy to follow the progress you're making toward all your financial goals. a quick glance, and you can see if you're on track. when the conversation turns to knowing where you stand, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪ i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪ so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma,

or can not empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. get emergency medical help right away if your face, lips, throat or tongue swells. toviaz can cause blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness and decreased sweating. do not drive, operate machinery or do unsafe tasks until you know how toviaz affects you. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. talk to your doctor about toviaz. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. angie's liat angie's list, i autyou'll find reviews. on everything from home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. if you want to save yourself time and avoid a hassle, go to angie's list. at angie's list, you'll find the right person to do the job you need. and you'll find the right person quickly and easily. i'm busy, busy, busy, busy. thank goodness for angie's list. from roofers to plumbers to dentists and more, angie's list -- reviews you can trust. oh, angie? i have her on speed dial. hoo-hoo...hoo-hoo.

hoo-hoo hoo. sir... i'll get it together i promise... heeheehee. jimmy: ronny, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? ronny: i'd say happier than the pillsbury doughboy on his way to a baking convention. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

good morning. minding your business this morning, a record-setting day on wall street. the s&p 500, all-time high. on the dow, triple-digit gains. the nasdaq, a 12-year high. putting investors in a buying mood. a strong housing report, talking to the european central bank. and a rumor that the next iphone could hit store shelves as early as this summer. meanwhile, now that veteran nba player jason collins has

announced to the world he's gay, there is talk about whether this will boost his marketability. he doesn't have a ton of endorsements right now. but this acknowledgment he is gay could translate to cold, hard cash. how much is the question. here's where things stand. he made $1.4 million last season. nike is his only endorsement deal. the company doesn't use him in ads right now. but one marketing expert tells us collins could make seven figures. mikey might use him in specials. other endorsements, maybe speaking engagements could follow. but remember, until now, he's not a star, star athlete. so, the potential here could be limited. and we know the reason he did this is not for monetary reasons, of course. but, in terms of corporate america, the timing is right. advertisers are more open these days. jcpenney and revlon use ellen

degeneres. and companies have come out in support of gay marriage. you can check out cnn.com for more on this. >> wouldn't it be nice? it was something that we were talking about. monetizing this decision to come out. >> and his decision, when you read that amazing letter he wrote, it's just history. you know? so, he was making history, not making money off of this. but you know that corporations and other brands want to line up on the right side of history. you can see how this would be his personality could be his brand something that would attract endorsements. >> positive outcome. thank you, christine. appreciate it. former south carolina governor, mark sanford, trying to pull off a political comeback after a stunning fall from grace. wait until you hear how sanford responded when his democratic challenger brought up his past at last night's contentious congressional debate. oh, boy.

[ groans ] ♪ ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it. heart-healthy, whole grain oats. great first gig! let's go! party! awwwww... arigato! we are outta here! party......

finding you the perfect place, every step of the way. hotels.com with an advanced degree inoking education from capellalp them university, full potential. you'll be better equipped to deal with today's issues and make an even greater impact. let's get started at capella.edu. she thinks retirement will be comfortable, but it may not be because the economic climate has changed. the old rules don't apply. so the investments she thinks are safe... are not. bny mellon wealth management helps you understand today's hidden risks, prepare for tomorrow's, and retire without compromise. are you ready? bny mellon wealth management invested in your future.

so, how did female dna get on a boston marathon bomb fragment? fbi agents seeking answers at the home of a suspect's widow. a huge barrier broken in major league sports. now, jason collins has paved the way. and a parade of star witnesses on tap in the michael jackson wrongful death trial, set to start hours from now. why one lawyer says it is going to get ugly. welcome back to "early start."

>> it is -- i'm in boston right now. it is a beautiful morning. tuesday, april 30th. we want to update you on potentially big developments on the boston bombing investigation. female dna found on one of the devices. now, investigators are monitoring tamerlan tsaranev's widow, katherine russell. agents were seen leaving the home with dna samples. they're trying to figure out what katherine russell did in the days before and just after the attack. also this morning, "the boston herald" reports that the state medical examiner has determined tamerlan's cause of death. but they're not releasing the details because russell or no one else has claimed the body yet. as for surviving suspect, dzhokhar tsaranev, another lawyer has been added to his growing defense team. death penalty expert, judy

clark. her past clients include susan smith, the unabomber, ted kaczynski and jared loughner who killed six people and wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords in tucson. all those high-profile clients avoided the death penalty and got life sentences, instead. inaddition to discovery of the female dna, fbi agents have met up with the mysterious misha. he's the man some family members say helped radicalize tamerlan. pamela has more on the latest on the investigation. let's start with the female dna found on bomb fragments. >> reporter: yeah, john. authorities found female dna on one of the bombs used in the boston marathon bombing. we don't know who that dna belongs to or whether its presence means that a woman was involved in the attack in any

way. it appears that the investigation is focusing on katherine russell. she is the widow of tamerlan tsaranev. we saw fbi agents enter the home she was staying in in rhode island. they carried out two black equipment case and clear plastic bags marked dna samples. authorities want to see if russell's dna matches the dna that was found on the bomb we referenced. if it does match, very important to note here, it doesn't necessarily implicate her. her attorney said she had no involvement in the attack and has been fully cooperative. here's what the attorney said, we want to state what we stated before. katie continues to assist in the investigation in any way that she can. john? >> one of the intriguing figures, mysterious in this whole investigation, has been this misha character, who some

relatives of the tsaranevs says is the man who radicalized tamerlan and maybe dzhokhar, as well. what have you learned about him? >> reporter: we've learned a lot, recently. agents have been interviewing him. he is the man who tamerlan's relatives blame for influencing him. now, we're hearing from misha himself. this is from a reporter who interviewed him. the reporter says misha strongly denied influencing tamerlan negatively. he hasn't seen him in three years. here's what the reporter had to say. >> he was very, very, very intent on explaining he had nothing to do with any kind of radicalization. what he told me was, i was not his teacher. if i had been his teacher, i

would have made sure he knew that doing something like this was wrong. >> reporter: he denies any wrongdoing. as you said, he's been a very intriguing figure in this investigation. we hope to learn more about misha. john? >> pamela brown, great work today. each day it seems like we get a new piece of investigation about this case and this investigation. each day that passes in boston, it's more like normal here. more like things before the marathon. overnight, a real sign. crews were busy repainting the boston marathon finish line. traditionally, they do that within hours of the marathon, when all of the runners finish the race. this year, for obvious reasons, they waited. and that process was delayed about two weeks. that's a block from here. that happened last night after 10:00. >> so much happening overnight where you are. nice to have you there. thank you, john. jason collins couldn't have been more clear. quote, i am a 34-year-old nba center. i am black.

and i am gay. that revelation in a "sports illustrated" article, triggering huge support among fellow athletes and beyond that. collins tweeted, saying all of the support is truly inspirational. i am not walking it alone. collins is the first player in a major u.s. team sport to come out while still active. a former nba star tells anderson cooper, he wasn't surprised to hear it. >> i was happy for jason. people should get to be who they want to be. a gay player in the nba, anybody thinking they haven't played with a gay player is an idiot. i played with several gay players. it's their own business. and they should get to be who they want to be. >> jason collins has played for six nba teams. most recently, the washington wizards. he is a free agent and hopes to continue his career. the first witness will take

the stand in the michael jackson wrongful death trial in a few hours. a suit brought by his mother, claims that aeg live is responsible for billions of dollars in the pop star's death. yesterday's opening statements providing a glimpse of what is to come. with the jackson lawyers telling aeg executives ruthless. and the company saying things could get ugly. we have more from los angeles. >> reporter: you could barely see jackson family members amid the crush of cameras. the familiar circus that follows michael jackson, even beyond the grave. part of the performers rehearsal for the this is it tour, was the first video played by his lawyer during opening statements. jackson's mother, katherine, and her three grandchildren, say concert promolter, aeg live put

the contract above his health, by hiring conrad murray. murray was responsible for injecting the pop star with propofol. katherine jackson listened, as her lawyer told the jury, aeg ignored the red flags and hired dr. murray. they were ruthless. and they wanted to be number one at all costs. jacksons say aeg live should pay. on the witness list, his attorney in the molestation trial. >> he died of 50 years of age. he was the son of a wonderful woman, katherine jackson. what was his life worth? it was worth quite a bit. he was the best-known celebrity on the planet. >> reporter: but the lawyer said the blame lies with jackson, promising the case would get ugly. saying that his ex-wife helped

administer propofol. they didn't see this coming. they had no idea, said putnam. they were a concert promoter. how could they know? the next step, testimony begins. and what promises to be a star-studded lineup. from sharon osbourne, to spike lee. and jackson ex-wife, lisa marie presley. this trial could last well into the summer. amanda knox, breaking her silence about her explosive murder trial in italy. in an interview with abc news, the former college student from seattle, says she's glad her story can be told after six years. knox was convicted in 2009, for the murder of a fellow student. and that case made international headlines with knox being labeled a temptress and a she-devil. >> for all intents and purposes, i was a murderer. whether i was or not. and i had to live with the idea

that that would be my life. >> knox's conviction was overturned in 2011 because of mistakes made by prosecutors. the italian courts want to try her again. virgin galactic is one step closer to becoming the world's first commercial space line. the new spacecraft completed its first rocket-powered flight over the mojave desert. the spaceship did not go up into space. but it did break the sound barrier. the engines were in use for about ten minutes. and the test flight took about an hour. the company hopes to reach all space flight by the end of the year. would you go. it is a big day on broadway. the annual tony awards will be announced in new york city. and "kinky boots" is one of the top contenders. it features songs by cyndi

lauper. another favorites is "matilda," based on the beloved novel. there will be a live web cast at tonyawards.com. the ceremony will be televised live on june 9th from radio city music hall. and the dutch queen, stepping down this morning. why beatrice decided this was the type to abdicate her throne after 33 years. a full report from amsterdam coming up. about pads... but they do talk about always infinity. [ marcy ] it's like memory foam. [ female announcer ] the only pad made from a revolutionary material. [ erina ] it totally fits to your body. [ female announcer ] it's incredible protection, you'll barely feel it. always infinity. tell us what you think. with the innovating and the transforming and the revolutionizing. it's enough to make you forget that you're flying five hundred miles an hour on a chair that just became a bed. you see, we're doing some changing of our own.

ah, we can talk about it later. we're putting the wonder back into air travel, one innovation at a time. the new american is arriving. we know the value of your at ueducation of phoenix is where it can take you. [now arriving: city hospital] which is why we're proud to help connect our students with leading employers across the nation. [next stop financial center] and didn't know where to start. used a contractor before at angie's list, you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. no company can pay to be on angie's list, so you can trust what you're reading. angie's list is like having thousands of close neighbors where i can go ask for personal recommendations. that's the idea.

before you have any work done, check angie's list. from roofers to plumbers to dentists and more, angie's list -- reviews you can trust. i love you, angie. sorry, honey. i've always had to keep my eye on her...

but, i didn't always watch out for myself. with so much noise about health care... i tuned it all out. with unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters... my individual health profile. not random statistics. they even reward me for addressing my health risks. so i'm doing fine... but she's still going to give me a heart attack. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. welcome back to "early start." 43 minutes past the hour. queen beatrice of the netherlands, abdicating the dutch throne. beatrice is stepping aside so her 46-year-old son can become king. and max foster, royal correspondent for cnn international, is on the phone from amsterdam this morning. good morning to you, sir.

i was reading here, this will be the first king the dutch have had in more than 120 years. how is the country responding? >> well, actually, just to get to this point, i had to fight through thousands of people. the scene's extraordinary in amsterdam. everyone dressed in orange, completely excited. it's normally queen's day. it is queen's day. it started that way. and turned into king's day. people are thrilled about this changeover. they like both of them immensely. a popular monarchy in europe, according to the polls. you got a sense of the emotion, when you saw the queen sign that bit of paper, which is all she had to do to become a princess and turn her son into king. last night, she did give key words, her thoughts about stepping down from the throne. >> translator: in handing over my task as monarch, i feel above

all deep gratitude. without your heartwarming and moving expressions of encouragement, the sufferings of which there were some, would have been heavy to bear. in this farewell, i want to let you know, that your support has given me great strength. >> we saw her introduce her son as the king. next, a formal occasion, where they won't crown him. there will be a crown there. but he basically speaks an oath in front of parliament. you have all the world crown prince and princesses here. it will happen in a couple of hours. and they will be partying through the night, i would think. >> thanks very much. 45 minutes past the hour. mark sanford may be running for

congress. but he can't seem to run from his past. he's trying to resurrect a political career that ended in disgrace in 2009, when he was forced to step down after lying about an extramarital affair. during a heated debate last night, sanford's democratic challenger couldn't resist turning back the clock. >> when we talk about fiscal spending and we talk about protecting the taxpayers, it doesn't mean you take that money we save and leave the country for personal purpose. >> she went there, governor sanford. >> i couldn't hear what she said. >> that was an awkward moment. sanford never responded to the comment. the two candidates square off in a special election for a house seat next week. coming up, the late shift mystery. police in michigan are trying to

solve the case of a missing gas station attendant who simply vanished at the end of her work vanished at the end of her work day.ady. ecomfortable, ement wile but it may not be because the economic climate has changed. the old rules don't apply. so the investments she thinks are safe... are not. bny mellon wealth management helps you understand today's hidden risks, prepare for tomorrow's, and retire without compromise. are you ready? bny mellon wealth management invested in your future.

made a retirement plan, they considered all her assets, even those held elsewhere, giving her the confidence to pursue all her goals. when you want a financial advisor who sees the whole picture, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. [ sneezing ] she may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec®. powerful allergy relief for adults and kids six years and older. zyrtec®. love the air.

welcome back to "early start," everyone. a beautiful morning here in boston. we want to update you in an interesting development in the marathon bombing investigation. female dna discovered on one of the explosive devices. federal investigators are closely monitoring tamerlan tsaranev's widow. agents leaving that home with potential evidence, including dna samples. they're trying to figure out what katherine russell did in the days before and just after the attack. as for the surviving suspect, dzhokhar tsaranev, another lawyer has been added to his defense team. death penalty expert, judy clark. her past clients were susan

smith, and ted kaczynski and the tucson shooter, jared loughner. all of these clients avoided the death penalty, getting life sentences, instead. after pleading guilty in one way or another. >> thank you, john. it's 50 minutes past the hour. police in michigan are combing through 'caucomb ing through dozens of tips for a gas station attendant that went missing there. she prepared to close up shop on friday night. and police are searching for a silver minivan seen at the station a few minutes before she disappeared. in fargo, north dakota, melting snow expected to raise the banks of the red river by, get this, 35 feet tonight and into wednesday. it is according to the national weather service. that would make it the ninth-highest swell on record, as well as the latest date the river has ever peaked, thanks to this late-season snow. and to make matters worse, it is

raining in fargo. for the very latest, let's check in with jennifer, in the cnn weather center with more details for us. good morning, jennifer. >> you're right. we're starting off the morning with showers moving through fargo. it doesn't look like it's going to have that much of effect on the river levels. we're expecting the cresting to become less than what we originally expected. showers moving through the north, in wisconsin and illinois, chicago. along with a lightning. but real action towards the south, across parts of central florida, as well as moving away from miami and into parts of houston. of course, we know about that flooding that happened in houston over the weekend. now, as we go through today, as well as tomorrow, notice for yourself. we are talking about rainfall, tuesday to wednesday. this is going to lead to flooding problems along the gulf coast. some of the locations, three, four inches of rainfall. could lead to flash flooding. but the other story we're following is the snow that's going to be developing late

tonight, moving into parts of denver, colorado, cheyenne, and minnesota, where some locations, calling for four to six inches of snowfall. seems late in the year for that. reality is, snow is coming down. it will start later tonight. on a wider view, severe storms setting up for the upper midwest. and speaking of the upper midwest, i have great video. this is incredible. some people call this chandeliering ice. listen to this ice just cracking. and you can see it splintering there, right along the coastline in minnesota. >> that's cool. >> totally cool. there's really no official term for this. but it's happening, the sun is drying it out. it's losing the moisture. and the crystals are basically popping away. i would imagine, probably trick you in the finger before it melted. >> it looks like one big science experiment. very cool for the kids. >> we're all weather nerds now. >> thanks. we'll check back in with you. up next, how a new hampshire

man managed to lose a ton of cash at a tub of fun carnival game. capella university understands businesses are trying to come back from rough economic times. employees are being forced to do more with less. and the need for capable leaders is greater than ever. when you see these problems do you take a step back, or do you want to dive right in? with a degree in business from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to go further in your career than you ever thought possible. let's get started at capella.edu

to get our adt security system. and one really big reason -- the house next door. our neighbor's house was broken into. luckily, her family wasn't there, but what if this happened here? what if our girls were home? and since we can't monitor everything 24/7, we got someone who could. adt. [ male announcer ] while some companies are new to home security, adt has been helping to save lives for over 135 years. we have more monitoring centers, more of tomorrow's technology right here today, and more value. 24/7 monitoring against burglary, fire, and high levels of carbon monoxide ing at just over $1 a day. and now get adt installed for just $99. isn't your family worth america's number-one security company, adt? our girls got us thinking, but the break-in got us calling. and after buying two of everything, it was nice to only need one security system -- adt. [ male announcer ] get adt installed for just $99.

and ask about adt pulse, advanced home management here today. adt. always there.

welcome back to "early start." 57 minutes past the hour. we're going to look at the top trends on the web this morning. check out the high-resolution images. taken from a nasa spacecraft. it is capturing an enormous hurricane on saturn. the hurricane is about 1,250 miles wide. that is 20-times larger than the average hurricane here on earth.

aren't you glad you live here? this is a true and a crazy story. a new hampshire man losing his life savings at a carnival game. there he is right there. henry, left only with a giant, dred locked banana, after dropping 2,600 bucks. he lost a couple dollars in a matter of minutes. so, he went home. and he grabbed $2,300, which he also lost, while trying to win his money back. >> you get caught up in the whole double or nothing. i've got to win my money back. >> no way, dude. when he went back the next day, the man operating the game, actually gave him back $600. and he got that big banana also. but he still filed a complaint with the manchester police department. he is alleging the game was rigged. i could have never walked in and said, i lost $2,300 trying to win an x-box.

"early start" continues right now. the fbi, focused on the widow of one of the boston marathon terror suspects, after this startling revelation. female dna found on a bomb fragment. plus, the russian connection, traced to a canadian man now. did the death of this boxer-turned-jihadist, push tamerlan tsaranev towards terror? and the revelation heard around the world. jason collins comes out as gay. triggering a huge response from sports fans everywhere. good morning to you. welcome to "early start." >> live in boston this morning. it is tuesday, april 30th. it is 6:00 a.m. in the east. we're going to begin with pretty interesting new developments here in the boston marathon bombing investigation. this surprised a lot of people. female dna has been found on one of the explosive devices. so, now the big question is,

who's dna is it? with bags of dna evidence. they'll also try to piece together her every move in the days before and just after the attacks. also news this morning, the boston "herald" reports that the state medical examiner has determined tamerlan's official cause of death, but, but they're not releasing the details because russell nor anyone else has claimed tamerlan's body yet. as for suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev another lawyer has been added to his defense team, death penalty expert judy clarke. her past clients include susan smith, convicted of drowning her two children, she represented unabomber ted kaczynski, as well as tucson shooter jared loughner. all these clients were spared the death penalty, getting life sentence, instead. investigators now focusing in on that dna found on bomb fragments in boston.

yesterday the fbi searched katherine russell's family home in rhode island, as we told you. our pamela brown is in devens, massachusetts. that's where dzhokhar tsarnaev is in custody right now. pamela's got the latest on the investigation. good morning, pamela. >> good morning to you, john. the investigation at this point seemed to be focused on katherine russell, the widow of tamerlan tsarnaev. we saw yesterday afternoon fbi agents entered the home she's been staying in in north kingstown, rhode island. they walked out carrying bags of evidence. authorities want to know what role, if any, she may have played in helping to carry out the attacks. fbi agents searched this home belonging to the family of katherine russell. the widow of boston bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev, who she married three years ago. agents carried out two block equipment cases and clear plastic bags marked dna samples. sources say the fbi took these samples to see if they match up with female dna discovered on

the pressure cooker devices used in the boston marathon bombings. russell, who has denied any involvement in the attacks, has been staying in this north kingstown, rhode island, home, ever since her husband's death during a police shootout. nearby in this apartment, the fbi has interviewed mikhail allakhverdov, the mysterious man known as misha, identified by the suspect's relatives as a key influence in radicalizing tamerlan. the attorney for misha's family says they're cooperating. >> today they have answered all the questions that have been asked of them by the authorities. they're fully cooperating. and that's it. there's really nothing more to say. >> reporter: misha denies any wrongdoing and says he hasn't spoken to tamerlan in three years. according to a reporter who recently interviewed him. >> what he told me was, i was not his teacher. if i had been his teacher i would have made sure that he knew that doing something like this was wrong. so he was very, very emphatic about that. very upset.

>> reporter: this new youtube video has surfaced allowing us to hear dzhokhar tsarnaev's voice for the first time as he plays with his niece. >> look at me, i said. he's now at this prison hospital here in devens, massachusetts, locked up in a 10x10 foot cell where he will spend all his time except for one hour allowed each day for outside activity. and we have learned that a judge has appointed the experienced lawyer judy clarke of california to tsarnaev's defense team. she has represented a number of high profile clients, including jared loughner, the accused tucson mass shooter and interesting to note here, john, that most of her high profile clients have received life in prison, rather than the death penalty. >> she has a great deal of experience in this field, pamela, to be sure. as we mentioned before the boston herald reporting that examiners have determined a cause of death for tamerlan

tsarnaev but they're not telling us. why? >> that's right. and that's because, john, no one has claimed his body. the examiner's office tells us that essentially tamerlan's widow, katherine russell, and his family members haven't come by to claim his body. so until that happens, the officials aren't going to release any details about his cause of death. as you mentioned, they have determined his cause of death. john? >> all right, pamela brown in devens, massachusetts this morning. thanks so much. appreciate it. meanwhile, federal investigators want to know if boston bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev ever knew a man named william slotnikov. our nic robertson is in dagestan. what do we know about this figure? >> he was 23 years old. he was canadian. his parents were from russia. his father from the north. his mother from the south. and in this area, he was a

convert to islam, had moved out to dagestan, perhaps in about 2010, and was killed in a village in july last year, along with six other rebel fighters, in a village not so far from this city here. john? >> and, nick, what's the significance of this connection? there also may be another militant that tamerlan tsarnaev could or could not have met with when he was there. >> yeah, the significance of the connection is, look, he had a number of things in common with tamerlan. in this region, at the same time. both were boxers. both had sort of gone down the radical islamic route. a possibility that the pair of them had met in toronto, which was where plotnikov lived in 2009. tamerlan reported to have visited his aunt in that city in 2009. so the possibility of a prior

connection. but plotnikov was living with two people sympathetic to rebels in a farm just outside a small village. we've talked to people in that village. they say that the shoot-out that killed him, six other people were killed. one of them a leading rebel commander. so the concern is, if tamerlan tsarnaev knew plotnikov, he was already fighting with rebels. is that a sort of connection where tsarnaev could have gathered bombmaking skills, gun fighting skills, anything like that? could he have teamed up through this connection with rebels, john? >> it does seem to be a lot of overlap between their times there and also the activities going on in that region at that time. nic robertson in dagestan for us, thanks so much. let's go back to zoraida in new york for the rest of the top stories. >> good morning, to you, john. so it's not every day a

journeyman pro athlete breaks new ground. but jason collins did it with these twelve words. i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black, and i'm gay. he's the first openly gay athlete in an american sport. and reaction coming out has been largely positive. more now from cnn's rachel nichols. >> reporter: for the past 12 seasons, jason collins has done the nba's dirty work. his seven foot, 255 pound frame protecting the basket night after night, with little or no recognition. but with his revelation in this week's "sports illustrated" that he's gay, that anonymity is over. in explaining his decision, collins said, quote, i've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. i was certain my world would fall apart if anyone knew. and yet when i acknowledged my sexuality, i felt whole for the first time. president obama called collins to say he was impressed with his courage. the first lady tweeted it was a huge step forward for the

country. many from the nba community also expressed support. >> character is found in those who lead. i like to commend you, jason, for coming out and showing us what leadership looks like. >> i'm glad he took that step. i know he feels liberated for doing it. i wish him the best and i hope that you know, nba guys can get past sexual orientation. you know, all that b.s. you know at the end of the day he's a good guy, he's a hard worker, he's a good basketball player and that's what he should be judged for and that's what he should be known for. >> reporter: not everyone is accepting of his sexuality. a prominent espn basketball analyst called collins a sinner. >> i'm a christian. i don't agree with homosexuality, i think it's a sin, as i think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is. >> reporter: in his magazine article, collins said he first thought about revealing his secret during the 2011 nba lockout but it was the boston marathon bombings that pushed him to action. helping him realize things can change quickly, and there would

be no perfect time to divulge his sexuality. collins also revealed he decided to wear rarely seen number 98 as a tribute to matthew shepard, the gay university of wyoming student tortured and murdered in 1998. collins is not the first male athlete to come out. but he is the first to do so while still playing for one of the four major u.s. pro leagues. that said, collins is a free agent, which means right now, he's looking for a job. >> our thanks to rachel nichols there. jason collins responded on twitter to the broad public support, he tweeted, thank you to everyone who has reached out to me through e-mail, text, calls, tweets, letters, and every other form of communication, #support. and all the support i have received today is truly inspirational. i knew that i was choosing the road less traveled, but i'm not walking alone. just ahead at 6:40 eastern we'll get more reaction from mike goalic and mike greenberg,

espn's mike and mike. looking forward to that. a developing story in afghanistan right now where t crf a cargo jet has killed seven american citizens. the national airlines plane went down shortly after takeoff from bagram air force base. it was on its way to dubai and the united arab emirates. national carries military and business cargo in afghanistan. the cause of the crash is not known. but the taliban is already claiming responsibility there. and a grim search in lower manhattan grinds on this morning. the new york city medical examiner is looking for human remains in a narrow alley where a chunk of rusted plane metal was found just last week. boeing yesterday confirmed that it was part of a wing flap from one of the two jets that crashed into the world trade center on 9/11. the plane part will be removed after the search for remains is completed. and coming up, a murder mystery in northern california. the massive search for the man who killed an 8-year-old girl inside her own home.

given way to sleeping. tossing and turning have where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com there's a land of restful sleep, we can help you go there, on the wings of lunesta.

nehey!r! [squeals] ♪ [ewh!] [baby crying] the great thing about a subaru is you don't have to put up with that new car smell for long. introducing the versatile, all-new subaru forester. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

welcome back to "early start" here in boston this morning. we wanted to update you on some new developments in the marathon bombing investigation. investigators right now say they

found female dna on one of the explosive devices that were detonated near the finish line. the fbi is taking a closer look at tamerlan tsarnaev's widow. they were seen leaving her parents' home with potential evidence, including a bag containing dna samples. investigators are also reportedly trying to get dna samples from a number of other people, as well. as they try to find anyone who may have been involved before, after, or during these attacks. as to the surviving suspect, dzhokhar tsarnaev, another lawyer has been added to his defense team. a famous one. death penalty expert judy clarke. her past clients include susan smith, convicted of drowning her two children. she also represented ted kaczynski, as well as tucson shooter jared loughner. these clients all avoided the death penalty, getting life sentence, instead. zoraida? >> thank you very much. 14 minutes past the hour. developing story in northern california. where police are looking for a suspect in the murder of an 8-year-old girl murdered in her

home. the parents of leila fowler did not have to say anything at a news conference last night. look at them. the pain on their faces told the entire story. paul vercammen live with the very latest on the hunt for leila's killer. good morning to you, paul. >> good morning, zoraida. well, police think that they have fingerprints. they think that they have dna. that, of course, takes time to process. in the meantime residents here want a resolution as quickly as possible. sheriff's deputies on foot and in patrol cars made their presence seen at jenny lind elementary school where leila fowler, the 8-year-old girl stabbed to death in her valley spring home over the weekend, attended third grade. some classmates held flowers for leila. their parents held on to fear. >> i'm scared for my kids and for the family. it's horrible. he was friends with her in class. classmates. they sit together at school.

it's very sad. things like that don't happen here. >> tell us what you have and why. >> i'm sad. i didn't want her to die. >> reporter: leila's mother told cnn via facebook, we are devastated. she was full of life. look at our baby girl. she didn't deserve this. her parents appeared at a news conference monday night. they did not speak and were understandably emotional. through police, they asked for respect and privacy. michael range lives near the foulers and heard of her deadly stabbing from a neighbor boy. >> i took my kids in instantly and locked the doors. and waited to find out what happened. it was scary. we've been inside all weekend. >> reporter: a lot of residents here feel trapped, pinned down after the mysterious death of leila fowler, who would have turned 9 in june. tonight here they'll let their

emotions flow. there will be a vigil for leila at 7:00 pacific time. zoraida? >> i can't imagine trying to get back to normal life, letting your kids play outdoors, very typical for that community. paul vercammen, thank you. drug smugglers in tijuana, mexico, had grand designs when they constructed a tunnel that was supposed to get their product into the united states. take a look at this, folks. the nearly 1200 foot long tunnel was built to connect a warehouse in tijuana with another one in san diego. it features an elevator and a rail system designed to transport drug shipments. but they never got to use it. the smugglers tunneled within yards of the u.s. border before the operation was shut down by the mexican military. quite an engineering feat there, though. unless you're a drama junkie or younger than six years old, chances are you're not a fan of turbulence when you fly. christine romans explains why a bumpy ride could be in your future in today's warriors.

>> i know, here we go, zoraida. according to researchers in the united kingdom climate change will cause more turbulence offer the next couple of decades. they say that's because global warming will strengthen air currents which is what creates those bumps. the study focused on the north atlantic but researchers said they expected to find similar results elsewhere in the world, as well. if spilling your drink, stopping you from using the bathroom and scaring you weren't enough, turbulence may affect your wallet. researchers say it already cost the industry around $150 million a year so that figure would likely rise. also, flights will get longer as planes fly around turbulence, which means using more fuel. all this equals higher ticket prices, potentially more emissions which could add to global warming. british airways reports it's already investing in systems to more effectively help pilots avoid turbulence. and some plane manufacturers are also working on new tracking radars. you know, this is seen as they try to pack the plane and some planes have even been smaller, that means you're more prone to a little bit of turbulence, as

well. we'll watch this space. global warming. >> there you have it, road warriors. >> you may not have heard of jason collins before yesterday but you can bet on seeing a lot more of this nba trail blazer. what's coming out could mean for endorsement deals. that's coming up. great first gig! let's go! party! awwwww... arigato!

we are outta here! party...... finding you the perfect place, every step of the way. hotels.com

22 minutes past the hour. minding your business this morning, s&p 500, record high. >> i know. and stocks could make it six for six, zoraida. it's the last trading day of the month of the nasdaq and s&p 500 on track for a sixth straight monthly gain. six months in a row. >> we like that. >> and a record high overseas but not one we like to see. record high unemployment in the eurozone, 12.1%. that's what we're watching right now. >> all right. so meanwhile, for everybody who hasn't heard, an nba player jason collins announcing that he

thesouestion is, advertisers. will they flee? or will they scoop him up? >> it could be a possible endorsement for companies who want to be affiliated with this piece of history. right? and with this movement within professional sports. and it could translate into money if collins wants to capitalize and that's unclear. right now jason collins doesn't have a lot of endorsements. just one from nike. the company, by the way, doesn't even use him in his ads. he did make almost $1.4 million last season. but one marketing expert tells us collins could turn this revelation into an additional seven-figure boost. nike might consider using him in some commercials. companies already expressing support, nike says it admires collins' courage, it's proud that he's a nike athlete, and it believes in a level playing field where sexual orientation isn't a consideration. >> and by the way, he has a stellar reputation on top of that. so that's a winning combination for him. >> he's a pro's pro in the nba. now other endorsements and speaking engagements could follow. he could make a fortune on the

speaking circuit. look he's playing basketball right now. and that's what makes this so news worthy, i think. in terms of corporate america, the timing is right here, too. i mean, advertisers are more open these days. jcpenney and revlon use ellen degeneres as a spokesperson. starbucks and target have come out in support of gay marriage. so the atmosphere has really changed so much in the past five years, the timing is really right from a marketing, endorsement standpoint that this is a vehicle the companies might really be interested in. cnn money dotcom has a great take-out of what this means. >> looking forward to that. i think i need to read that. really a fascinating story and the courage to write what he wrote. >> i don't know him personally, i would suspect money had nothing, could be the farthest thing from his mind. >> when you read his essay, you won't jump to that conclusion. what's the one thing we need to know about our money? >> don't forget about the fed. popsymakers kicking off a

two-day meeting. they are expected top pumping billions of dollars into the economy. so those record highs on wall street they could continue because it's the only place for money to go. bad news for savers we expect interest rates to stay very, very low for some time. >> thank you, christine. it is 24 minutes past the hour. an awkward moment for former south carolina governor mark sanford. did he not expect it? find out how he responded during last night's congressional debate when his rival raised questions about his cheating past. alec, for this mission i upgraded your smart phone. ♪ right. but the most important feature of all is... the capital one purchase eraser. i can redeem the double miles i earned with my venture card to erase recent travel purchases. and with a few clicks, this mission never happened. uh, what's this button do? [ electricity zaps ] ♪ you requested backup? yes.

what's in your wallet? ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. abelieve it's time to todallow marriage forme to gay and lesbian couples. here's why. our daughter, emma. a gay couple in my ministry. my sister-in-law. my brother, octavio. a business partner. our moms. my son. my sister irene, a police officer. my brother keyan. my neighbor. our godson. it's time to give gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry.

it's time for marriage. but i wondered what a customer thought? describe the first time you met. you brought the flex in... as soon as i met fiona and i was describing the problem we were having with our rear brakes, she immediately triaged the situation, knew exactly what was wrong with it, the car was diagnosed properly, it was fixed correctly i have confidence knowing that if i take to ford it's going to be done correctly with the right parts and the right people. get a free brake inspection and brake pads installed for just 49.95 after rebates when you use the ford service credit card. did you tell him to say all of that? no, he's right though... everybody has different ideas, goals, appetite for risk. you can't say 'one size fits all'. it doesn't. that's crazy. we're all totally different. ishares core. etf building blocks for your personalized portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. iss by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses.

read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. ♪ even superheroes need superheroes, and some superheroes need complete and balanced meals with 23 vitamins and minerals. purina dog chow. help keep him strong. dog chow strong. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion max. the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. roc® max for maximum results.

so how did female dna get on a boston marathon bomb fragment? fbi agents seeking answers at the home of a suspect's widow. and a huge barrier broken in big league sports. will other well-known pros come out as gay now that jason collins has paved the way for them? we're talking to espn's mike and mike. looking forward to that. and a parade of star witnesses on tap in the michael jackson wrongful death trial set to start just hours from now. why one lawyer promises it is going to get ugly there. welcome back to "early start." glad you're with us, i'm zoraida sambolin in new york. >> and i'm john berman in boston. it is tuesday, april 30th. 30 minutes past the hour. a lot going on all over today, but we're going to start here in boston because up first, female dna found on a fragment of one of the boston marathon bombs. now the big question is, where did this come from? the fbi has now visited tamerlan tsarnaev's widow katherine russell at her parents' rhode island home.

agents seen leaving with bags of dna evidence. meantime, the massachusetts medical examiner has determined that tamerlan tsarnaev's cause of death, they have determined his cause of death but the examiners are not releasing the details because neither russell nor anyone else has claimed the body yet. as for surviving suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev another lawyer has been added to his defense team, death penalty expert judy clarke. her past clients include susan smith, you may remember she was convicted of drowning her two children. other people she represented, unabomber ted kaczynski and tucson shooter jared loughner. now, these high profile clients were all spared the death penalty, getting life sentences, instead. what everyone's talking about this morning, the discovery of female dna on bomb fragments has opened up a new path for investigators to follow. and yesterday, fbi agents searched the rhode island home of katherine russell's family. they also met up with the mysterious misha. lots to talk about in the investigation and pamela brown

is live in devens, massachusetts, where they are holding dzhokhar tsarnaev. pamela, let's start with the female dna. what can you tell us about that? >> a lot of new developments here. authorities found female dna on one of the pressure cooker bombs used in the boston marathon bombing. now, we don't know who that dna belongs to or whether its presence means that a woman may have been involved in any way in the attack. it is simply too premature to know that. but at this point it appears the investigation is focusing on katherine russell, the widow of tamerlan tsarnaev. we saw yesterday fbi agents entering the home. she's been staying in in north kingstown, rhode island. they carried out two black equipment cases and clear plastic bags marked dna samples. authorities want to see if russell's dna matches the dna found on the bomb materials. important to note here, though, even if her dna does match that dna on the bomb, that doesn't necessarily implicate her. her attorney says she had no involvement in the attack

whatsoever, and has been fully cooperative with authorities. here's the quote the attorney gave to the new york times. we want to state what we stated before, katie continues to assist in the investigation in any way that she can. john? >> we're also learning more about a very intriguing character in this investigation, this misha figure, who relatives of the tsarnaevs say was key in radicalizing the brothers. so what have we learned about misha? >> john, we've learned his real name is mikhail allakhverdov, and he has been interviewed by fbi authorities. misha is the man that relatives of the suspect say was a key influence in radicalizing tamerlan. but misha denies any wrongdoing. he's saying that he had no involvement, he hasn't seen tamerlan in three years and he was not his teacher. here's what he told a new york review books reporter. >> he was very, very, very

intent on explaining he had nothing to do with any kind of radicalization. what he told me was, i was not his teacher. if i had been his teacher, i would have made sure he knew that doing something like this was wrong. >> the attorney for misha's family says they have been fully cooperative. again we know fbi authorities have interviewed him. we don't know exactly what came out of that interview. but at this point, john, there are no other suspects. >> all right. pamela brown in devens, massachusetts with the latest on the marathon investigation. we should say one aspect of the marathon, it's flying into the other key story of the day, jason collins acknowledging that he is gay. he said the marathon bombings really changed his outlook on life. zoraida? >> he says life is fragile so he was seizing this opportunity. so fans and fellow athletes are voicing their support for long time nba player jason collins who revealed in a "sports illustrated" article that he is gay.

he tweeted his thanks saying all the support i have received is truly inspirational. i knew that i was choosing the road less traveled. but i'm not walking it alone. collins, a 12-year veteran, is the first openly gay athlete still active in a major american pro team sport. last night cnn's anderson cooper got reaction from former nba great charles barkley. >> the first thing, i was happy for jason. because people should get to be who they want to be. but, known has a gay player in the nba, who ever thought they'd play with a gay player is an idiot. i played with several gay players. it's t o business and i think they should get to be who they want to be. >> always telling it like it is. collins has played for six nba teams in twelve seasons and most recently with the washington wizards. right now he's a free agent and hoping to catch on with another team this season. we're going to talk with mike golic and mike greenberg, espn's mike and mike about jason collins coming out and all of

the reaction that they are receiving. 34 minutes past the hour. testimony is set to begin in just a few hours in the michael jackson wrongful death trial. the witness list is star-studded. but if yesterday's opening statements are any indication, this civil trial experted to last several months could get down and dirty. cnn's kyung lah has more from los angeles. >> reporter: you could barely see jackson family members amid the crush of cameras. they arrived at the wrongful death civil trial. the familiar circus that follows michael jackson, even beyond the grave. ♪ part of the performer's rehearsal for his ill-fated hii video clip played by his family's lawyer during opening statements. jackson's mother, katherine, and her three grandchildren, say concert promoter aeg live was a greedy commercial enterprise that put profits ahead of jackson's health by hiring and controlling dr. conrad murray. murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for

injecting the insomniac pop star with a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol. seated in the court's first row, katherine jackson listened as her lawyer told the jury, aeg ignored the obvious red flags and hired dr. murray. they were ruthless and they wanted to be number one at all costs. the jacksons say aeg live should pay. on the witness list, jackson's defense attorney in his child molestation trial. >> the question is what was michael jackson's life worth? he died at 50 years of age. he was the son of a wonderful father of three beautiful children. what was his life worth? it was worth quite a bit. he was the best-known celebrity on the planet. >> reporter: but aeg live defense attorney marvin putnam told jurors the blame in jackson's death lies with jackson. promising the case will get ugly. putnam said jackson ex-wife debbie rowe helped administer propofol ten years ago and his decades-long use of the drug was jackson's deepest, darkest secret. they didn't see this coming. they had no idea, said putnam.

they were a concert promoter.d ? the next step, testimony begins in what promises to be a star-studded lineup from sharon osborne to spike lee and jackson ex-wife lisa marie presley. the trial could last well into the summer. kyung lah, cnn, los angeles. and we will continue to follow all of those developments for you. 37 minutes past the hour. what impact will jason collins' groundbreaking announcement have on professional sports? and can we expect other athletes to follow? we're going to talk to the two mikes, mike golic and mike greenberg of espn. [ jen garner ] imagine a makeup

that can make your skin grow more beautiful every time you wear it. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% of women saw improvement in their skin's natural texture, tone or clarity. it's healthier for your skin than wearing no makeup at all. does your makeup do that? healthy skin liquid makeup. from neutrogena® cosmetics.

>> welcome back, good morning. christine romans joins us with a look at what's ahead on "starting point." >> today we've got a startling discovery in the boston marathon attack investigation. female dna found on part of a bomb fragment. now investigators looking more closely at the deceased suspect's wife. then, an american athlete makes history. coming out as gay while still active in one of the major sports leagues. has nba player jason collins knocked down the barrier for closeted professional athletes? we're going to hear from his high school coach this morning. wade davis, former nfl player came out last year. we'll also talk to rick welts, president and coo of the golden state warriors. and remember when president obama joked about getting a drink with senator mitch mcconnell at the white house correspondents' dinner? mitch mcconal is returning the laugh and he is ready to accept. waiting for the president. >> thank you very much, chriine. 41 minutes past the hour. more on that groundbreaking announcement from nba player

jason collins. in his essay yesterday for "sports illustrated" he said, i didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major american team sport. but since i am, i'm happy to the start the i had my way, someon would have already done this. nobody has, which is why i'm raising my hand. the 34-year-old has gotten support from all corners of the sports world. from nba commissioner david stern to former teammates. so let's talk about the reaction with mike golic and mike greenberg the mosts of "mike & mike" on espn radio and espn2. they're joining us this morning. collins is the first active player in a major u.s. sport to come out. how big of a deal is this? >> well, it's both an enormous deal and i think no big deal at all. with regard to the individual, at least in my opinion, it's no big deal at all. i don't know why anyone was that concerned about jason collins sexually. this or after. but in a bigger picture, when it has never happened before, we're

now dealing with new territory. >> we're dealing with firsts now, is what we are. first time now, into the locker room. first time now in front of fans at home. first time now in front of fans on the road. so there are a lot of firsts that jason is going to start here. hopefully, and quickly, we will move to this is no big deal. but one of the big exceptions being a former player is the locker room. we have heard players already tweet about this disagreement with this so you know there are more players that feel that way, as well. so that's why i think the player is going to feel some trepidation. >> i do want to talk about that. because he deals with that very specifically in his es says. he, it, the question was how will other players respond, right? and he says the biggest concern seems to be that gay players will behave unprofessionally in the locker room. believe me, i've taken plenty of showers in 12 seasons. my behavior wasn't an issue before and it won't be one now. so why is this a concern still? >> well i really don't know, to

be honest with you. i mean it seems to me that jason collins is exactly the same person on tuesday that he was on sunday. and he has played with any number of players, hundreds of players over the course of his career. he's played on multiple teams so he's played with hundreds of guys and there's never been any issue. there's no reason to think there would be one going forward. >> common sense would say that but we know we aren't always dealing with common sense. the good thing here is my kids are 23, 22, 18, green's are 12 and 10 so this generation coming along is way more accepting of this so i think even younger players in sports i think will be accepting of this. >> how are your viewers reacting? or your listeners? >> well, listen, listeners and viewers, as you would expect, i mean it's a huge cross-section of the united states. so i think the majority say good for him. and let's get on with it. and let's talk about the nba playoff games last night, and there were some who had different opinions and i suppose that's to be expected. >> somebody specifically on your network, as well, had a very

negative reaction, it seemed like, so i know that the dialogue will continue. we certainly appreciate your time this morning. and we're hoping that, you know, the dialogue stays positive. thank you, mike and mike. appreciate it. 44 minutes past the hour. and this just in to cnn, armed men in trucks with anti-aircraft guns mounted on them surrounding libya's justice ministry in tripoli. we are told ministry staff have been allowed to leave, and no one is being allowed inside. more on the story throughout the morning as we continue to get updates on this. and mark sanford may be running for congress but he can't outrun his past. the former south carolina governor is trying to rebuild a political career that ended in disgrace after he lied about an extramarital affair. sanford claiming he was hiking the appalachian trail when he was really visiting his mistress in south america. during a spirited debate last night, sanford's democratic challenger elizabeth colbert busch couldn't resist revisiting

her opponent's record. >> when we talk about fiscal spending, and we talk about protecting the taxpayers, it doesn't mean you take that money we saved and leave the country for a personal purpose. >> she went there, governor sanford. >> i couldn't hear what she said. >> so sanford never actually responded to colbert-busch's comments. the two candidates square off in a special election that is scheduled next week. and up next on "starting point," six months after hurricane sandy destroyed his home, we'll meet up with a 13-year-old staten island boy whose quick thinking helped save his family. hey, it's sara. i'm going pro. i've been using crest pro-health for a week. my dentist said it was gonna help transform my mouth. [ male announcer ] go pro. for a clean that's up to four times better, try these crest pro-health products together.

[ sara ] i've been using crest pro-health. so far...it feels different. [ male announcer ] crest pro-health protects not just some, but all these areas dentists check most. my mouth feels healthier. it feels cleaner. i think my dentist is gonna see the difference. [ male announcer ] go pro with crest pro-health. i don't think i'll ever go back to another product. see.

welcome back to "early start" everyone. we wanted to update you on new developments in the boston marathon bombing investigation. investigators say they found female dna on fragments of one of the explosive devices that were detonated near the finish line here. the fbi is taking a closer look at tamerlan tsarnaev's widow. they were seen leaving her parents' home with potential evidence, including a bag containing dna samples. investigators also reportedly trying to get dna samples from a number of other people as they try to figure out if anyone else was involved either before, during or after these attacks. as for surviving suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev another attorney has been added to his defense team, death penalty expert judy clarke.

her past clients include susan smith. you remember susan smith was convicted of drowning her two children. this lawyer judy clarke also represented unabomber ted kaczynski and tucson shooter jared loughner, as well. these clients all avoided the death penalty, getting life sentences, zoraida, instead. >> all right. thank you very much, john. it has been six months since hurricane sandy caused massive devastation in new york, new jersey, and in connecticut. in broad channel, new york, the panetta family had to flee their home to escape the rushing water. 13-year-old ryan led his family to safety. but they've got a long way to go before things are actually back to normal. cnn's poppy harlow has more. >> reporter: ryan panetta rescued his family from the rushing waters of superstorm sandy. >> i jumped out. i wasn't even thinking that like a log would hit me or anything. >> or the electrical power lines? >> yeah. >> you swam to this house? >> yeah, right here. and they took us in to their second floor. >> what did you think when your

13-year-old son jumped in the water? >> you know, i -- i was panicking. i was panicking. >> did ryan help save your family? >> absolutely. no question. absolutely. >> i was thinking that water was going to come -- >> you feel like your brother helped save you? >> yes. >> he didn't just lose his home that day. his school was so damaged he had to move to a temporary one. a lot to deal with at just 13. >> when something brings you down, you got to get up. >> you okay, buddy? i honestly don't know. >> everything. >> it's everything. >> they worked long hours, determined to rebuild. the one thing that gave them hope. but six months after sandy the

panetta family could only stand and watch. after all that work they were told the foundation was shot. >> it was like my baby. and so watch it just be broken down like this is tearing me up. >> tough to go through. like watching my house just come down. >> their home, gone in an hour. >> we're living it every single day for the last six months. it's just a nightmare that we're never waking up from. >> this is everything we've ever done. this is our whole life here. >> they're still paying a mortgage on the home that is faux longer there. their fight right now is over insurance. >> just to do the foundation is going to cost $60,000 to $80,000. oh, my gosh. how do you justify that? it turns on the basis of what you have, not for what you need. >> they say they'll rebuild right here. they'll have to build higher and

get approval from the city. i think a lot of people would ask, why rebuild here? it could happen again. >> there's no other way for me to explain other than we love it here. we love it here. >> that's one thing sandy couldn't take away. >> as long as we all have each other, that's going to get us through everything. >> poppy harlow, cnn, broad channel, new york. >> our thanks to poppy for that. 54 minutes past the hour. just in this hour to cnn, libya's justice ministry in tripoli surrounded by armed men. this story developing minute by minute. we're going to have the latest coming up on "starting point." "early start" back after this.

welcnew york state, where cutting taxes for families and businesses is our business. we've reduced taxes and lowered costs to save businesses more than two billion dollars to grow jobs, cut middle class income taxes to the lowest rate in sixty years, and we're creating tax free zones for business startups. the new new york is working creating tens of thousands of new businesses, and we're just getting started.

to grow or start your business visit thenewny.com ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up.

[ female announcer ] from meeting customer needs... to meeting patient needs... ♪

wireless is limitless. ♪ from finding the best way... ♪ to finding the best catch... ♪ wireless is limitless. remember 7-year-old cancer patient jack hoffman. he captured the nation's heart when he scored a 69-yard touchdown at a nebraska football game earlier this year. now he gets to cross another major achievement off his list. look at this. meeting the president. hoffman who is battling brain cancer traveled to the white house and recently spent some time in the oval office with, as you see there, president obama. he's seen here holding a football which the president actually signed. we wish that little boy well. that is "early start." i'm zoraida sambolin. john berman continues our

coverage live in boston with "starting point" right now. good morning, everyone, i'm john berman live in boston this morning. "starting point" today, investigators taking a closer look at the wife of an accused boston marathon bomber, after dna belonging to a woman is found on one of the bombs. and for the first time we're hearing the voice of the surviving suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev on a home video. >> look at me. no, give me a kiss. >> cnn is covering this story from massachusetts all the way to russia. we're doing it like no other network can. then, an athlete in a major american sports league comes out as gay. nba player jason collins making history. and over the next two hours we're going to speak with wade davis, the former nfl player who came out last year, the

president and coo of the golden state warriors and jason collins' high school coach greg hilliard. plus trading jabs at a debate for a south carolina congressional seat. >> when we talk about fiscal spending and we talk about protecting the taxpayers, it doesn't mean you take that money we saved and leave the country for a personal purpose. >> she went there. elizabeth colbert-busch comes out swinging against opponent mark sanford. but who won the night? and this just in to cnn, a militia in libya has the justice ministry there surrounded. we will have a live report from that hot spot coming up. it is tuesday, april 30th, and "starting point" begins right now. dramatic new developments to tell you about in the boston marathon bombing investigation. female dna has been found on me